Combination-switch.



H. H. BAKER..

COMBINATION SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. 19|5.

Batentedl Apr. 30, 1918.

MILTON manna, or BurrALo, new YORK.

conninarron-swrron.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3d, Md

Application filed July 24:, 1915. Serial N0. 4:1,807.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, HOWARD HAMILTON BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at lBufialo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combination- Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switches adapted to open and close an electric circuit and which must be set in a certain predetermined position in order that the circuit may be completed.

The objects of this invention are to produce a switch of this kind of improved and simplified construction, the combination of which can be easily changed if desired; also to provide a switch of this kind which is so constructed that it can be partly dismantled or taken apart for inspection or repairs without disclosing the combination; also to provide a switch of this kind with improved means for setting the same to the proper position to close the circuit by the sense of hearing; also to improve the construction of switches of this kind in the respects hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a combination switch embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with the cover removed.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof with the cover and movable members of the switch removed.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation thereof.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation similar to Fig. 2, showing the movable member partly broken away.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section thereof on an enlarged scale, on line 66, Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of one of the movable members. I

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on line 8-8, Fig. 6, showing the movable contact member of one of the disks.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional elevatirion on the same scale as Fig. 6, on line 9-9,

Fig. 10, is a fragmentary sectional view showing a detent or click of. modified construction.

The switch shown in the drawings comprises two switch units, mounted upon a single base and connected in series in the circuit which is to be controlled, so that both switch units must be closed in order to complete the circuit. The switch may, however, consist of one or more switch units, and the switch units may be mounted on separate bases if desired.

A represents an insulating block or base on which the parts of the switch are mount ed and which is secured in a casing or housing (it provided with lugs or projections a adapted to be bolted or otherwise secured upon a suitable support not shown. The casing is provided with a cover a which is secured to the insulating block by any suitable means, such as screws a or the like. All of these parts may, if desired, be of any other suitable construction.

Each switch unit comprises a movable member or part having a portion which is adapted to engage with stationary contacts mounted on the base to close the circuit. The movable member of each switch unit in the construction'shown comprises a disk or dial B of insulating material on which a movable connecting member is mounted. Each disk-is rotatably arranged preferably in a recess 'or depresslon b in the outer face of the insulating block and is adapted to rotate about a stud 0 extending into a central hole in the disk. This stud forms the continuation of a contact member or post C which is secured on the insulating block A, and which is provided with a nut c by means of which a conductor can be connected to the post. Each disk is preferably provided with a knob or handle for turning the same.

B and is provided with a cavity or depression 1) into which the end of the stud 0 may enter without contacting with the knob, so that the knob may be made of metal, if desired. The knobs I) extend through holes in the cover a o-f the housing of the switch, and the cover, engaging the disks B, holds the same in their operative positions.

Eachof the disks B is provided with a movable connecting or contact member or arm D, which is preferably made of yielding or springy material and which, in the construction shown, is suitably secured at one end to the disk and connects at its intermediate portion with the central contact member or post, the connecting member shown having a hole through which the stud c of the central contact post extends, and bearing against a shoulder or enlarged por- In the construction shown for this purpose a knob b is secured to the disk tion 0 of the post. The end of the connecting member D is adapted to engage with any one of a plurality of contacts arranged circumferentially about the central contact post, so that by turning the disk, the movable connecting member is caused to move from one to another of the contacts. These contacts may be of any suitable kind, screws E being used in the embodiment ofrthe invention illustrated, which extend through the insulating block of the switch to the rear face thereof.

Each switch unit is so constructed that the combination of the same can be readily changed. This is accomplished, in the construction shown, by means of a conducting ring or member F secured on the rear face of the insulating block in close proximity to each of the contact screws E. ducting ring is connected in any suitable manner with the circuit, for example, by means of a washer f held in contact with the ring by means of a screw 7" to which a conductor is connected. In order to connect one or another of the contact screws E with the ring F it is only necessary to secure a nut f or the like on the screw and turn the same into engagement with the ring F. A look nut f is employed to positively hold the nut f in its engaging position. In order to change the combination of the switch, it is only necessary to remove the nuts f f from one contact screw to another.

The two units of the switch shown may be electrically connected in the circuit which is to be controlled, by means of conductors g and g of the circuit which are connected respectively to the central contact post C of one switch unit and the binding screw f of the other switch unit. The two units are connected by means of a conductor 9 connecting the binding screws of the first mentioned unit with the post C of the other unit.

By means of the structure recited, the movable parts of the switch units can be easily removed by removing the cover a of the housing. This permits the disks and the connecting member D secured thereto to be removed for repairs or inspection and also exposes the outer ends of the contact screws E without disclosing the combination of the switch. In order to obtain access to the rear face of the base A for changing the combination or electrical connections, the casing of the switch is removed from, its support.

The switch is preferably provided with means of improved construction for making it possible to set the movable parts of the switch units into their proper circuit closing positions by the sense of hearing. This is accomplished in the construction shown by means of a spring-actuated detent or click H engaging in notches Ih in the periphery of each disk B. The notches are The con- I so arranged on the disks that the detent H will snap into a notch when the connecting member D is in engagement with one of the contact screws E. In the construction shown in Figs. 1-9, the detent H of each switch unit consists of a pin which extends through a hole in the block A and is.connected to a leaf spring k secured to the base A. The detent can, however, be of other construction, such as balls H confined in a hole h" in the block A and bearing against the spring 723, as shown in Fig. 10. The

springs of the two switch units are arranged in a notch or recess 72. at one edge of the base. The detents are preferably secured to or engage the middle portion of the springs. A stop pin or projection i is secured on the base and is adapted to engage the end of the connecting member D to stop the turning of the movable member of the switch when the disks are at their zero positions. After the diskshave been placed into their zero positions they are turned until the detent II has passed into the desired number of notches, which can be heard by the clicking sound of the detent snapping into the notches of the disk. The spring pressed detents or clicks not only make it possible to set the movable parts of the switch units in the proper circuit closing positions, but also serve to hold the disks in these positions in spite of any vibrations or jars to which the switch may be subjected.

The combination switch described is simple and inexpensive to construct and is reliable in its action, since it has no parts which are easily broken or injured. If for any reason the connecting members D should fail to close the circuit, the cover a can be easily removed for inspecting the movable parts of the switch.

I claim as my invention 1. In an electric SWltCh, the combination of an insulating base, a connecting member movably mounted on said base, a plurality of contacts arranged on said base in the path of movement of said connecting member, a fixed conductor mounted on said base and extending in proximity to said contact members, and means for connecting any one of said contacts with said conductor.

2. In an electric switch, the combination of an insulating base, a connecting member rotatably mounted on said base, a plurality of contacts arranged on said base about the axis of rotation of said connecting member and in operative relation thereto, an annular conductor arranged in proximity to said contacts, and means for connecting any of said contacts with said conductor.

3. In an electric switch, the combination of an insulating base, a connecting member movably mounted on one face of said base, contacts on said base arranged in the path of movement of said connecting member and extending through the same to the other side thereof, a fixed conductor arranged in proximity to said contacts and secured on the other side of said base, and means for connecting any one of said contacts with said conductors.

4. In an electric switch, the combination of an insulating-base, a connecting member movably mounted on one face of said base, contact screws extending through said base and having parts arranged in the path. of movement of the connecting member, a fixed conductor secured against movement relatively to said contact screws and arranged in proximity to said contact screws, and means adapted to be secured to any one of said screws on the other side of the base and to engage said conductor for electrically connecting the screw and said conductor.

5. In an electric switch, the combination with an electric circuit, of an insulating base, a disk rotatably mounted thereon, a connecting member secured to said disk, a plurality of contacts adapted to be engaged by said connecting member during the rotation thereof, a fixed conductor arranged in proximity to said contacts and connected with said circuit, and means for connecting any one of said contacts with a conductor.

6. In an electric switch, the combination with an electric circuit, of an insulating base, a connecting member movably mounted on said base, a plurality of contacts arranged on said base in the path of movement of said connecting member, afixed conductor arranged in proximity to said contact members means for connecting said conductor with said circuit, and means for connecting any one of said contacts withv said conductor.

7. In an electric switch, the combination of an insulating base, a connecting member rotatably mounted on the front face of said base, a plurality of contact members secured on said base and havin one of their ends arranged in the path 0 movement of said connecting member and their other ends projecting beyond the rear face of said base, a conducting ring arranged in proximity to said other ends of the contact members and means adapted to be removably secured to any one of said contact members and to engage the same for connecting the contact member with the conducting ring.

8. In a switch for opening and closing an electric circuit, the combination of an insulating base, a contact post secured on said base, a plurality of contact members secured on said base, a connecting member mounted on the front face of said base and movable about said contact post and adapted to connect said post with anyone of said contact members, said contact members having parts extending beyond the rear of face of said base, a fixed conductor mounted on the rear face of said base in proximity to said contact members and means for connecting any one of said contact members with said conductor, said conductor and said contact post being permanently connected with said circuit.

9. In an electric switch, the combination of a housing, an insulating base secured in said housing and having a depression in its front face, an insulating disk rotatably arranged in said depression, a contact post on said base extending through a hole in said disk and about which said disk is adapted to turn, a handle mounted on said disk over said hole in the disk and having a hollow part into which said post extends, and a cover for said casing having an opening through which said handle extends and which engages said insulating disk for holding the same in operative position in said recess.

Witness my hand this 21st day of July, 1915.

' HOWARD HAMILTON BAKER.

Witnesses:

C. W. PARKER, A. L. MCGEE. 

